Progress on Adipose Tissue Dysfunction in the Pathogenesis of Obesity-Related Hypertension

Abstract

Obesity has become one of the most prominent public health challenges of the new century, and its close association with hypertension constitutes a major global disease burden. Once considered a passive energy reservoir, adipose tissue is now redefined as a metabolically active endocrine and paracrine organ. In obesity, abnormal expansion and dysfunction of adipose tissue drive the elevation of blood pressure through multiple complex and intertwined mechanisms. This review aims to explore in depth the central role of adipose tissue dysfunction in the pathogenesis of obesity-related hypertension, with a particular focus on the latest advances regarding key pathways such as physical compression, imbalance in adipokine secretion, local activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), chronic low-grade inflammation, and insulin resistance. Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for developing novel strategies for the prevention and treatment of obesity-related hypertension.